Overlay for buttons



May 16, 1961 H. HUBBELL OVERLAY FOR BUTTONS Filed Jan. 24, 1958 w Wm L L/m1 ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 2,983,975 OVERLAY FOR BUTTONS Harvey Hubbell, Fairlield, Conn., assignor to Harvey Hubbell, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Jan. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 710,972

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-113) The present invention relates to an overlay for buttons, particularly for use with the conventional sewed-on buttons of regular mens shirts, to enable the conversion of such apparel to make it suitable for dress" or semiformal wear. The invention also contemplates other uses, as for uniforms and fancy dress costumes, and as a fashion accessory in ladies apparel for matching buttons with other accessories.

An object of the invention is to provide an overlay which may be effectually attached to a button simply by pressing it into place, will be firmly retained upon the button during use, and may be readily removed when it is desired to reconvert the apparel to its normal use. To this end it is proposed to provide an overlay having a button receiving recess provided with an adhesive layer for retaining the button in the recess. It is further proposed to provide a protective guard or covering for the adhesive layer to be removed at the time of application to a button.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a button overlay according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the overlay applied.

to a button of a shirt or the like;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of an overlay of modified shape applied to a button of a shirt or the like.

Referring to the drawings, the overlay, according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated therein, comprises a body 10 preferably formed of a moulded plastic material having a suitable outline shape, as for example rectangular with rounded corners as shown in Figs. 1-5, or circular as shown in Fig. 6, and which may have desired decoration integrally moulded therein, as for instance the peripheral bead 11, and may also have separate decorative members secured by embedding therein during the moulding process, as for example a jewel inset 12.

At the inner side of the body there is provided a circular recess 13 of a diameter sufficient to freely receive a conventional button and of a depth sufficient to conceal such buttonfrom the front and sides. The side wall of the recess is cylindrical and its base wall is preferably flat although the side wall may, if desired, be outwardly divergent or otherwise suitably shaped so long as it permits the free entrance of the button into the recess. Upon 2,983,975 Patented May 16, 1961 the base of the recess there is provided an adhesive layer 14 of suitable adhesive material which is normally tacky and pressure-sensitive and is of suitable thickness to permit the button to be slightly embedded therein through pressure, to insure effective adhesion of the overlay to the button.

A protective covering or guard 15, preferably of cloth, is adhered to the adhesive layer 14 prior to application to a button, this covering being of circular shape to fit within the recess and entirely cover the adhesive layer and being provided at one point with a tab 16 to enable it to be readily peeled from the adhesive layer. It will be observed that the adhesive layer and the protective covering are protected by the wall of the recess against contact by the ordinary handling of the overlay, so that it may for instance be carried within a pocket without danger of contact with the adhesive layer or accidental displacement of the protective covering.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the overlay is applied to a button 17 secured by a thread loop 18 to a shirt 19 or other type of apparel. A typical button for cooperation with the overlay comprises a base wall provided with a forwardly projecting annular rim 20 which forms the side wall of a central recess 21 into which open a plurality of suitably spaced thread loop receiving holes 22 extending through the base wall. The forward annular surface of the rim 20 lies in a plane parallel to the base wall surface of the recess and forwardly spaced therefrom a sufiicient distance so that the portion of the thread loop spanning the holes 22 and projecting into the recess is spaced from said plane. Upon removal of the protective covering 15, the overlay is simply pressed over the button, causing the forward annular surface of the rim 20 to press into and adhere to the adhesive layer, the projecting portion of the thread loop 18 within the recess being out of contact with the adhesive layer, so that it does not interfere with the adherence of the forward annular surface of the rim 20 with the adhesive, and is also protected from becoming coated with the adhesive. The adherence is sufficient to prevent disengagement of the overlay through ordinary usage, and also to prevent turning of the overlay relative to the button. Thus the overlay may be mounted in a fixed position, and in the case of the rectangular overlay or one having an upright design such as an initial, the overlay will remain in its proper upright position. After use of the overlay, it may be readily removed from the button and the covering 15 replaced to protect the adhesive layer until the overlay is to again be used.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a button comprising a base wall and a forwardly projecting annular rim forming the side wall of a central recess, said base wall having a plurality of spaced thread loop receiving holes extending therethrough and opening to said recess, and said rim having a forward annular surface lying in a plane parallel to and so spaced from said base wall that the portion of a thread loop spanning said holes and projecting into said recess is spaced from said plane, and a removable overlay con cealing the forward and side surfaces of said button comprising an apaque body having a recess in its inner side for free insertion and removal of said button, said body having a base wall and a side wall forming said lastmentioned recess, said base wall of the overlay having a planar inner surface and said side wall, having a depth at least equal to the thickness of said button, and a rela tively thin normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive layer carried by at least an annular area of said inner surface of said base wall of the overlay opposed to and adapted to be contacted by said forward annular surface of said rim of said button received in said last-mentioned recess, and the inner surface of said side wall being free of restraining engagement with said button to allow free References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mosses Feb. 25, 1868 4 Patremio June 28, 1921 Bode Oct. 19, 1937 Pereles -3 Sept. 10, 1940 Tansman Oct. 13, 1953 Bogoslowsky Sept. 7, 1954 Engert Oct. 9, 1956 Zdanowski Feb. 18, 1958 

